I am a female senior engineer. In our we
Ask
I am a female senior engineer. In our weekly 45-minute team sync, another lead constantly interrupts me mid-sentence and talks over me.
I usually freeze because I don't want to appear combative.
Can you give me:
1. An exact speakable line to calmly reclaim the floor when interrupted in Tuesday's sync?
2. What to say if he laughs it off with "Sorry, just excited to build on that"?
3. A brief follow-up line to the facilitator after the call to keep agenda turn-taking structured?
Answer
**Tuesday, when he cuts in mid-sentence:**
"I'll finish this point, then I'll take the question."
Then keep talking. Don't explain, don't soften, don't look at him for permission.
**If he brushes it off with "Sorry, just excited to build on that":**
"I heard you. I'm still finishing this point."
Pause half a beat, return to your sentence. Skip the smile that would make it look negotiable.
**After the call, to the facilitator (Slack or a 2-minute 1:1):**
"I've been getting cut off in our syncs. Can we add a round-robin turn to the agenda so each lead gets uninterrupted time? I'll send a one-line edit by Friday."
The framing matters — it's a structure request, not a complaint about one person, which is why a facilitator will act on it.